Clipperton Discovery Stamp from France
The French Post has issued a stamp dedicated to the discovery of the Clipperton Island.
Often called the island of passion, Clipperton is located in the Pacific Ocean, over 6,000 km from Tahiti and 1,300 km from the coast of Mexico. It is an isolated atoll of subcircular form of 6 km2 from which approximately 2 km2 of land. It contains a lagoon closed and isolated from ocean water masses, surrounded by a strip of narrow land.
The island was discovered on Friday, April 3, 1711 by Frenchmen Gustave Charles Martin de Chassiron and Michel Dubocage, commanders of the frigates "Princess" and "La Decouverte".
The name of the Clipperton Island comes from the name of English naturalist and pirate John Clipperton, who, from some sources, had crossed the waters of the island, and from others, had even landed there in 1704.
The island has long been coveted by Mexico and England, but on January 28, 1931 the French sovereignty was recognized there thanks to the log-books of Martin de Chassiron and Michel Dubocage. Its fauna and flora are quite limited; we should note first of all the presence of crabs (Gecarcinadae), masked boobies, and a few coconut trees.
